Skip butt joint traction device and method and automatic guide transport vehicle

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention discloses a skip car butt joint traction device and method and an automatic guide transport vehicle. A mounting unit of the skip car butt joint traction device is mounted at the tail part of the automatic guide transport vehicle through a shell unit; a mounting part of the mounting unit extends in the front-back direction of the automatic guide transport vehicle, one end of the mounting part protrudes relative to the shell unit and is provided with a hook, the other end of the mounting part is rotationally connected with a telescopic rod of the first driving part, and the two ends of the mounting part are further rotationally connected with the shell unit; thus, the first driving body can drive the mounting piece to rotate relative to the shell unit between the two rotating positions by driving the telescopic rod to stretch out and draw back, and then when the mounting piece is located at the two rotating positions, the cross beam of the skip car can be clamped and released through formation and damage of the clamping groove between the hook and the rear end of the shell unit. Therefore, loading and unloading of the skip car are achieved, the technical problem of automatic carrying of the skip car without the hook is solved, and the structure is simple.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of logistics technology, and in particular to a material vehicle docking and traction device and method, and an automatic guided transport vehicle. Background Art

[0002] Automated guided vehicles (AGVs) are industrial automated vehicles that load cargo automatically or manually, then automatically drive to a designated location along a set route, and then complete automatic or manual loading and unloading of cargo. There are currently many types of AGVs designed for different operating scenarios. By continuously refining the division of labor, they provide more intelligent services to various industries in automated production.

[0003] Among them, in some application scenarios, automated factories often use material carts, such as hand-pushed material carts in 3C electronics workshops, turtle flatbed carts, supermarket shopping carts, etc. Most of these material carts are transported manually, and there are no docking hooks for mechanized and automated handling at the beginning of the design; at this time, if you want to achieve the purpose of docking such material carts by automatic guided transport vehicles to realize their automatic transportation, you need to change the existing structure of the material cart to add hooks. However, adding hooks to each material cart will undoubtedly greatly increase the modification cost.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a material cart docking and traction device that connects the automatic guided transport vehicle and the material cart and has a simple structure to achieve automated transportation of the material cart without a hook. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In response to at least one aspect of the above-mentioned technical problems, an embodiment of the present application provides a material cart docking and traction device, method and automatic guided transport vehicle, wherein the mounting unit of the material cart docking and traction device can be installed on the tail of the automatic guided transport vehicle through a shell unit; then, the mounting unit includes a mounting part and a first driving part that drives the mounting part to rotate relative to the shell unit; wherein, the mounting part extends along the front and rear directions of the automatic guided transport vehicle, one end of the mounting part protrudes relative to the shell unit and is provided with a hook, the other end of the mounting part is rotatably connected to the telescopic rod of the first driving part, and the two ends of the mounting part are also rotatably connected to the shell unit; in this way, the first driving body of the first driving part can rotate the mounting part relative to the shell unit between two rotation positions by driving the extension and retraction of the telescopic rod, and then, when the mounting part is in the two rotation positions respectively, the crossbeam of the material cart can be clamped and the crossbeam of the material cart can be released respectively by forming and destroying the clamping groove between the hook at its end and the rear end of the shell unit, thereby realizing the mounting and unloading of the material cart, solving the above-mentioned technical problem of automatic handling of hookless material carts, and having a simple structure.

[0006] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a vehicle docking and traction device, comprising a housing unit and a mounting unit mounted on the housing unit, wherein the front end of the housing unit along a first direction is used to be mounted on the rear end of an automatic guided transport vehicle, and the rear end of the housing unit along the first direction is provided with the mounting unit, wherein the first direction is the front-rear direction of the automatic guided transport vehicle, and the mounting unit comprises:

[0007] a first driving member, mounted on the housing unit, comprising a first driving body and a telescopic rod that is telescopic relative to the first driving body;

[0008] A mounting member, wherein a first end of the mounting member is rotatably connected to the telescopic rod via a first rotating shaft along the first direction, and a second end of the mounting member is protruded relative to the rear end of the housing unit and is provided with a hook;

[0009] The mounting member is rotatably mounted on the housing unit via a second rotating shaft at a position between the first end and the second end thereof, the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft extending in a second direction, which is the left-right direction of the automatic guided transport vehicle, so that the first driving body drives the telescopic rod to extend and retract, thereby rotating the mounting member relative to the housing unit between the first rotation position and the second rotation position;

[0010] Wherein, when the mounting member is in the first rotation position, a clamping groove is formed between the hook and the rear end of the housing unit, and the clamping groove is used to clamp the crossbeam of the trolley;

[0011] When the mounting member is in the second rotation position, the docking and pulling device releases the crossbeam due to the destruction of the clamping groove between the hook and the rear end of the housing unit.

[0012] In one embodiment, preferably, the mounting member is in the shape of a straight-line extending rod, and the hook protrudes upward relative to the mounting member and is arranged at a right angle to the mounting member;

[0013] Wherein, the first driving member is located above the mounting member, and when the mounting member is in the first rotation position, the mounting member is arranged horizontally, and the telescopic rod is arranged vertically.

[0014] In one embodiment, preferably, the top end of the first driving body in the vertical direction is rotatably mounted with the shell unit via a third rotating shaft, the third rotating shaft extends along the second direction, and the third rotating shaft is located at the front side of the first driving body in the horizontal direction.

[0015] In one embodiment, preferably, a back plate is provided at the rear end of the housing unit, and the back plate is used to form the clamping groove with the hook when the mounting member is in the first rotation position.

[0016] In one embodiment, preferably, rubber pads are respectively provided on the surfaces of the back plate opposite to the hook, and at least one light sensor is provided on the surface of the back plate facing the hook, and the light sensor is configured to be triggered by the beam clamped by the clamping groove.

[0017] In one embodiment, preferably, it further includes:

[0018] a swing track unit, used to connect the automatic guided transport vehicle and the housing unit;

[0019] The two ends of the swing track unit along the first direction are respectively a mounting portion and a track portion, the mounting portion is used to be fixedly mounted on the tail of the automatic guided transport vehicle, the track portion includes a curved track surface, the curved track surface extends in the vertical direction, and the cross-section of the curved track surface in the horizontal direction is an arc segment concave toward the mounting portion;

[0020] a swing connection unit, mounted at the front end of the housing unit;

[0021] In which, the shell unit is connected between the mounting portion and the track portion, and the swing connection unit includes a first roller and a second roller respectively arranged on the front and rear sides of the arc track. The rotating shafts of the first roller and the second roller are arranged in the vertical direction, and the first roller and the second roller are respectively abutted against the two opposite sides of the arc track surface, so that the shell unit can swing freely relative to the swing track unit along the arc segment of the arc track surface.

[0022] In one embodiment, preferably, the second roller located on the side of the arc-shaped track surface facing away from the mounting portion is driven by a second driving member, and the second driving member is fixedly mounted on the housing unit;

[0023] Among them, the material cart docking and traction device also includes a reset detection unit, which is respectively installed on the arc-shaped track surface and the shell unit, so that the second driving member drives the shell unit to reset to the middle position of the arc-shaped track surface with the cooperation of the reset detection unit.

[0024] In one embodiment, preferably, the reset detection unit includes a magnetic scale, the magnetic scale of the magnetic scale is attached to the arcuate track surface along the arc direction of the arcuate track surface, and the read head of the magnetic scale is fixedly installed on the housing unit.

[0025] In one embodiment, preferably, the track portion includes an arc-shaped frame, and the arc-shaped frame encapsulates an arc-shaped plate on a side facing away from the mounting portion, so that the arc-shaped plate forms the arc-shaped track surface;

[0026] The first roller is located in an arc-shaped groove formed by encapsulating the arc-shaped frame and the arc-shaped plate, and a third roller is provided outside the first roller. The rotation axis of the third roller is perpendicular to the rotation axis of the first roller, so that the third roller and the first roller form a bidirectional combined bearing.

[0027] Furthermore, the third roller at least abuts against the upper frame plate of the arc-shaped frame.

[0028] In one embodiment, preferably, on the side of the arcuate track surface facing away from the mounting portion, the shell unit is fixed with fourth rollers on both sides of the second roller, the rotation axis direction of the fourth roller is the same as the rotation axis direction of the second roller, and the fourth roller abuts against the arcuate track surface.

[0029] In one embodiment, preferably, the mounting portion is in the shape of a crossbar extending along the second direction, and both ends of the mounting portion along the second direction are connected to the arc frame, and an arc-shaped gap is provided between the mounting portion and the arc frame for the shell unit to bridge.

[0030] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a material vehicle docking and traction device, comprising:

[0031] The swing track unit comprises a mounting portion and a track portion at both ends along a first direction, wherein the mounting portion is used for fixed installation with the rear end of the automated guided transport vehicle, the first direction being the front-to-back direction of the automated guided transport vehicle, and the track portion comprises a curved track surface, wherein the curved track surface extends in a vertical direction, and a cross section of the curved track surface in a horizontal direction is an arc segment concave toward the mounting portion;

[0032] A housing unit, the front end of which along the first direction is connected between the mounting portion and the rail portion, and the rear end of which along the first direction is provided with a mounting unit for mounting a trolley beam;

[0033] a swing connection unit, mounted at the front end of the housing unit;

[0034] The swing connection unit includes a first roller and a second roller respectively arranged on the front and rear sides of the arc track, the rotating shafts of the first roller and the second roller are arranged in the vertical direction, and the first roller and the second roller respectively abut against the two opposite sides of the arc track surface;

[0035] Wherein, the second roller is driven by a second driving member fixed to the housing unit;

[0036] In addition, the material cart docking and traction device also includes a reset detection unit respectively installed on the arc track surface and the shell unit, so that the second driving member drives the shell unit to reset to the middle position of the arc track surface with the cooperation of the reset detection unit.

[0037] In one embodiment, preferably, the reset detection unit includes a magnetic scale, the magnetic scale of the magnetic scale is attached to the arcuate track surface along the arc direction of the arcuate track surface, and the read head of the magnetic scale is fixedly installed on the housing unit.

[0038] In one embodiment, preferably, the track portion includes an arc-shaped frame, and the arc-shaped frame encapsulates an arc-shaped plate on a side facing away from the mounting portion, so that the arc-shaped plate forms the arc-shaped track surface;

[0039] The first roller is located in an arc-shaped groove formed by encapsulating the arc-shaped frame and the arc-shaped plate, and a third roller is provided outside the first roller. The rotation axis of the third roller is perpendicular to the rotation axis of the first roller, so that the third roller and the first roller form a bidirectional combined bearing.

[0040] Furthermore, the third roller at least abuts against the upper frame plate of the arc-shaped frame.

[0041] In one embodiment, preferably, on the side of the arcuate track surface facing away from the mounting portion, the shell unit is fixed with fourth rollers on both sides of the second roller, the rotation axis direction of the fourth roller is the same as the rotation axis direction of the second roller, and the fourth roller abuts against the arcuate track surface.

[0042] In one embodiment, preferably, the mounting portion is in the shape of a horizontal bar extending along a second direction, the second direction being the left and right direction of the automatic guided transport vehicle, the mounting portion is connected to the arc-shaped frame at both ends along the second direction, and an arc-shaped gap is provided between the mounting portion and the arc-shaped frame for the shell unit to bridge.

[0043] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a material cart docking and traction method, which is applied to the material cart docking and traction device disclosed in the first aspect above, wherein the material cart docking and traction method includes:

[0044] Before the automated guided transport vehicle reaches the mounting position of the trolley, the first driving body drives the telescopic rod to extend and retract, thereby rotating the mounting member relative to the housing unit to a second rotation position, so as to prevent the hook at the end of the mounting member from colliding with the crossbeam of the trolley when the automated guided transport vehicle moves toward the mounting position;

[0045] After receiving the mounting signal, the first driving body drives the telescopic rod to extend and retract, so that the mounting member rotates from the second rotation position to the first rotation position, so as to clamp the crossbeam of the trolley by using the clamping groove formed between the hook and the rear end of the housing unit;

[0046] After receiving the unloading signal, the first driving body drives the telescopic rod to extend and retract, so that the mounting member rotates from the first rotation position to the second rotation position, so as to release the crossbeam by destroying the clamping groove between the hook and the rear end of the shell unit.

[0047] In one embodiment, preferably, it further includes:

[0048] During the process of the automatic guided transport vehicle pulling the material vehicle, the telescopic rod is driven by the first driving body to maintain the telescopic position unchanged, so that the mounting member is maintained in the first rotation position.

[0049] In one embodiment, preferably, the step of driving the telescopic rod to extend and retract by the first driving body to rotate the mounting member from the second rotation position to the first rotation position specifically includes:

[0050] The telescopic rod is driven to extend relative to the first driving body by the first driving body, so that the mounting member rotates from the second rotation position to the first rotation position;

[0051] The step of driving the telescopic rod to extend and retract by the first driving body to rotate the mounting member from the first rotation position to the second rotation position specifically includes:

[0052] The telescopic rod is driven to retract relative to the first driving body by the first driving body, so that the mounting member rotates from the first rotation position to the second rotation position;

[0053] Wherein, when the mounting member is in the first rotation position, the mounting member is arranged horizontally, and the telescopic rod is arranged vertically.

[0054] In one embodiment, preferably, it further includes:

[0055] After driving the mounting member to rotate from the second rotation position to the first rotation position, generating a mounting confirmation signal according to a trigger signal of a light sensor provided at the rear end of the housing unit;

[0056] During the process of the automatic guided transport vehicle pulling the material vehicle, a fault signal is generated according to the disappearance of the trigger signal of the light sensor, and the automatic guided transport vehicle is driven to stop;

[0057] After the mounting member is driven to rotate from the first rotation position to the second rotation position, an unloading confirmation signal is generated according to disappearance of a trigger signal of a light sensor provided at the rear end of the housing unit.

[0058] In one embodiment, preferably, it further includes:

[0059] Before the automatic guided transport vehicle reaches the loading position of the trolley, the second driving member drives the second roller to rotate in cooperation with the reset detection unit to reset the housing unit to the middle position of the arc-shaped track surface;

[0060] During the process of the automatic guided transport vehicle pulling the material vehicle, the second driving member is driven to be de-energized so that the housing unit can freely swing relative to the swing track unit along the arc-shaped track surface.

[0061] In one embodiment, preferably, the step of driving the second roller to rotate by the second driving member in cooperation with the reset detection unit to reset the housing unit to the middle position of the arc-shaped track surface specifically includes:

[0062] acquiring a current reading of the read head at a current swing position of the housing unit relative to the arc-shaped track surface;

[0063] When the current reading is greater than a predetermined reading, the second driving member is driven to rotate forwardly, so that the current reading gradually decreases until it reaches the predetermined reading;

[0064] When the current reading is less than a predetermined reading, driving the second driving member to rotate in the opposite direction, so that the current reading gradually increases until it reaches the predetermined reading;

[0065] The reset detection unit includes the read head and the magnetic scale, the read head is fixed to the housing unit, the magnetic scale is attached to the arc-shaped track surface along the arc direction of the arc-shaped track surface, and the predetermined reading represents the reading of the read head when the housing unit is located in the middle position of the arc-shaped track surface.

[0066] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a material cart docking and traction method, which is applied to the material cart docking and traction device disclosed in the second aspect above, and the material cart docking and traction method includes:

[0067] Before the automatic guided transport vehicle reaches the loading position of the trolley, the second driving member drives the second roller to rotate in cooperation with the reset detection unit to reset the housing unit to the middle position of the arc-shaped track surface;

[0068] During the process of the automatic guided transport vehicle pulling the material vehicle, the second driving member is driven to be de-energized so that the housing unit can freely swing relative to the swing track unit along the arc-shaped track surface.

[0069] In one embodiment, preferably, the step of driving the second roller to rotate by the second driving member in cooperation with the reset detection unit to reset the housing unit to the middle position of the arc-shaped track surface specifically includes:

[0070] acquiring a current reading of the read head at a current swing position of the housing unit relative to the arc-shaped track surface;

[0071] When the current reading is greater than a predetermined reading, the second driving member is driven to rotate forwardly, so that the current reading gradually decreases until it reaches the predetermined reading;

[0072] When the current reading is less than a predetermined reading, driving the second driving member to rotate in the opposite direction, so that the current reading gradually increases until it reaches the predetermined reading;

[0073] The reset detection unit includes the read head and the magnetic scale, the read head is fixed to the housing unit, the magnetic scale is attached to the arc-shaped track surface along the arc direction of the arc-shaped track surface, and the predetermined reading represents the reading of the read head when the housing unit is located in the middle position of the arc-shaped track surface.

[0074] In the fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides an automatic guided transport vehicle, wherein a material cart docking and traction device is installed at the rear of the automatic guided transport vehicle, and the material cart docking and traction device includes the material cart docking and traction device disclosed in the above-mentioned first aspect, or the material cart docking and traction device includes the material cart docking and traction device disclosed in the above-mentioned second aspect.

[0075] In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides an automatic guided transport vehicle, which, when docking with a material vehicle, executes the material vehicle docking and traction method disclosed in the third aspect above, or executes the material vehicle docking and traction method disclosed in the fourth aspect above.

[0076] One or more technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application have at least the following technical effects or advantages:

[0077] An embodiment of the present application provides a material cart docking and traction device, method, and automatic guided transport vehicle. The material cart docking and traction device includes a shell unit, the front end of the shell unit is used to be installed on the rear of the automatic guided transport vehicle, and the rear end of the shell unit is provided with a mounting unit.

[0078] Among them, the mounting unit includes a first driving member and a mounting member installed on the shell unit, the mounting member extends along the front and rear directions of the automatic guided transport vehicle, one end of the mounting member protrudes relative to the shell unit and is provided with a hook, and the other end of the mounting member is rotatably connected to the telescopic rod of the first driving member through a first rotating shaft, and the two ends of the mounting member are also rotatably connected to the shell unit through a second rotating shaft, and the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft extend along the left and right directions of the automatic guided transport vehicle; in this way, the first driving body of the first driving member can drive the telescopic rod to extend and retract to make the mounting member rotate relative to the shell unit between the first rotation position and the second rotation position.

[0079] Furthermore, on the one hand, for example, when the mounting member is in the first rotation position, the material cart docking and traction device of this embodiment can utilize the clamping groove formed between the hook at the end of the mounting member and the rear end of the shell unit to clamp the crossbeam of the material cart, thereby realizing the mounting of the material cart; on the other hand, for example, when the mounting member is in the second rotation position, the material cart docking and traction device of this embodiment can release the crossbeam of the material cart due to the destruction of the clamping groove between the hook and the rear end of the shell unit, thereby realizing the unloading of the material cart.

[0080] That is to say, when the mounting parts of the material cart docking and traction device of this embodiment are in two rotation positions respectively, the material cart can be mounted and unloaded by utilizing the formation of the clamping groove between the hook at the end of the mounting part and the rear end of the shell unit, as well as destroying the crossbeams that clamp the material cart respectively and releasing the crossbeams of the material cart, thereby solving the technical problem of automatic handling of material carts without hooks and having a simple structure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0081] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative labor.

[0082] Figure 1 This is a schematic structural diagram of the material cart docking and traction device described in an embodiment of the present application.

[0083] Figure 2 This is a schematic cross-sectional structural diagram of the material cart docking and traction device described in an embodiment of the present application.

[0084] Figure 3 This is a structural schematic diagram of the mounting member in the embodiment of the present application in the first rotation position and the second rotation position respectively.

[0085] Figure 4 This is a structural schematic diagram of the shell unit in the embodiment of the present application, which is connected between the mounting portion and the track portion of the swing track unit.

[0086] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the installation structure of the second roller and the fourth roller in the embodiment of the present application.

[0087] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the installation structure of the first roller and the third roller in the embodiment of the present application, wherein the arc-shaped frame is not installed with an arc-shaped track surface.

[0088] Figure 7 This is a structural schematic diagram of the housing unit swinging along the arc-shaped track surface in an embodiment of the present application.

[0089] Figure 8 This is a structural schematic diagram of the material cart docking and traction device installed at the rear of the automatic guided transport vehicle in an embodiment of the present application.

[0090] Figure 9 This is a structural schematic diagram of the automatic guided transport vehicle moving toward the mounting position of the material vehicle in an embodiment of the present application, wherein the direction of the arrow in the figure represents the moving direction of the automatic guided transport vehicle.

[0091] Figure 10 This is a schematic structural diagram of the crossbeam mounting of the automatic guided transport vehicle and the material vehicle described in the embodiment of the present application.

[0092] Figure 11 This is a structural schematic diagram of the automatic guided transport vehicle turning while pulling a material vehicle in an embodiment of the present application.

[0093] Figure 12 This is a schematic structural diagram of the automatic guided transport vehicle described in an embodiment of the present application.

[0094] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the exploded structure of the automatic guided transport vehicle described in an embodiment of the present application.

[0095] Wherein, the reference numerals:

[0096] 10-shell unit, 11-back plate, 12-pad,

[0097] 20-mounting unit, 21-first driving member, 22-mounting member, 23-first rotating shaft, 24-second rotating shaft, 25-third rotating shaft, 26-clamping groove,

[0098] 211-first driving body, 212-telescopic rod,

[0099] 221-hook,

[0100] 30-swing track unit, 31-mounting part, 32-track part, 33-arc notch,

[0101] 321-arc track surface, 322-arc frame, 323-arc groove,

[0102] 40-swing connection unit, 41-first roller, 42-second roller, 43-third roller, 44-fourth roller, 45-second driving member,

[0103] 51-magnetic ruler,

[0104] 60-Light sensor,

[0105] 70- material car, 71- beam,

[0106] 80-Automated Guided Transport Vehicle, 81-Vehicle Floor, 82-Vehicle Rear Panel, 83-Vehicle Shell, 84-Collision Bar, 85-Navigation Laser, 86-Human-Machine Interaction Function Area, 87-Obstacle Avoidance Laser, 88-5G Communication Module, 89-Traction Guide Laser, 810-Universal Caster, 811-Differential Power Wheel, 812-Battery, 813-Counterweight,

[0107] X-first direction, Y-second direction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0108] In order to better understand the above technical solutions, example embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments of the present application. It should be understood that the present application is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described herein.

[0109] In response to the technical problem of automated handling of hookless material carts, the first embodiment of the present application provides a material cart docking and traction device, the shell unit of which is used to be installed at the tail end of an automatic guided transport vehicle, and the material cart docking and traction device utilizes a first driving body to drive the extension and retraction of the telescopic rod to make the mounting part rotatably installed relative to the shell unit be in a first rotation position for clamping the material cart cross beam and a second rotation position for releasing the material cart cross beam, thereby respectively realizing the mounting and unloading of the hookless material cart, and the structure is simple.

[0110] Please combine Figures 1 to 3 A material cart docking and traction device includes a shell unit 10 and a mounting unit 20 installed on the shell unit 10. The front end of the shell unit 10 along the first direction X is used to be installed on the tail of the automatic guided transport vehicle 80. The rear end of the shell unit 10 along the first direction X is provided with the mounting unit 20. The first direction X is the front and rear direction of the automatic guided transport vehicle 80.

[0111] The mounting unit 20 includes a first driving member 21 and a mounting member 22, the first driving member 21 is mounted on the shell unit 10, and the first driving member 21 includes a first driving body 211 and a telescopic rod 212 that is telescopic relative to the first driving body 211; along the first direction X, the first end of the mounting member 22 is rotatably connected to the telescopic rod 212 via a first rotating shaft 23, and the second end of the mounting member 22 is protruding relative to the rear end of the shell unit 10 and is provided with a hook 221; wherein, the mounting member 22 is rotatably mounted on the shell unit 10 via a second rotating shaft 24 at a position between the first end and the second end thereof, and the first rotating shaft 23 and the second rotating shaft 24 are rotatably connected along the first direction X. It extends in two directions Y, the second direction Y being the left and right direction of the automatic guided transport vehicle 80, so that the first driving body 211 drives the telescopic rod 212 to extend and retract, thereby rotating the mounting member 22 relative to the shell unit 10 between the first rotation position and the second rotation position; wherein, when the mounting member 22 is in the first rotation position, a clamping groove 26 is formed between the hook 221 and the rear end of the shell unit 10, and the clamping groove 26 is used to clamp the crossbeam 71 of the trolley 70; when the mounting member 22 is in the second rotation position, the docking traction device releases the crossbeam 71 of the trolley 70 due to the destruction of the clamping groove 26 between the hook 221 and the rear end of the shell unit 10.

[0112] Generally speaking, the material cart docking and traction device of this embodiment includes a shell unit, the front end of the shell unit along the first direction (the first direction is the front and rear direction of the automatic guided transport vehicle) can be directly or indirectly installed on the tail of the automatic guided transport vehicle, and then, the rear end of the shell unit along the first direction is provided with a mounting unit; that is, the material cart docking and traction device realizes the mounting and unloading of the material cart through the mounting unit provided at the rear end of the shell unit.

[0113] Specifically, the mounting unit includes a first driving component installed on the housing unit.

[0114] The first driving member includes a first driving body and a telescopic rod that can be extended and retracted relative to the first driving body. The first driving body is, for example, an electric cylinder, a pneumatic cylinder, etc., and the telescopic rod is installed on the electric cylinder, the pneumatic cylinder; that is, it can be understood that under the drive of the first driving body, the telescopic rod can be extended and retracted relative to the first driving body.

[0115] Specifically, the mounting unit further includes a mounting member installed on the housing unit and extending along the first direction.

[0116] Among them, one end of the mounting member along the first direction (that is, the above-mentioned second end) is protruding relative to the rear end of the shell unit, and the end of the mounting member protruding from the rear end of the shell unit is also provided with a hook; then, the other end of the mounting member along the first direction (that is, the above-mentioned first end) is rotationally connected to the above-mentioned telescopic rod through a first rotating shaft, or hinged; at the same time, the position between its two ends is also rotationally installed on the shell unit through a second rotating shaft; the above-mentioned first rotating shaft and second rotating shaft extend along the second direction, that is, the left and right directions of the automatic guided transport vehicle.

[0117] In this way, it can be understood that the trolley docking and traction device of this embodiment can drive the mounting part to rotate between the first rotation position and the second rotation position relative to the shell unit by driving the telescopic rod to extend and retract through the first driving body.

[0118] Among them, the first rotation position should be understood as the rotation position of the mounting member using the hook at its end to mount the material cart crossbeam; that is, when the mounting member is in the first rotation position, the hook at the end of the mounting member can, for example, form a clamping groove between the rear end of the shell unit, that is, the clamping groove is used to clamp the crossbeam of the material cart to achieve the mounting of the material cart.

[0119] Among them, the second rotation position should be understood as the rotation position where the hook at the end of the mounting member and the crossbeam of the trolley are unloaded; that is, when the mounting member is in the second rotation position, the clamping groove formed between the hook at the end of the mounting member and the rear end of the shell unit is destroyed due to the rotation of the mounting member, thereby releasing the crossbeam of the trolley and realizing the unloading of the trolley.

[0120] It can be seen that the material cart docking and traction device disclosed in this embodiment is intended to drive the extension and retraction of the telescopic rod, thereby driving the mounting part to rotate relative to the shell unit through the telescopic rod, and then using the hook at the end of the mounting part to form a clamping groove and destroy the clamping groove between the shell unit at two rotation positions, thereby respectively realizing the mounting and unloading of the material cart crossbeam. The structure is simple and the cost is low.

[0121] It is understandable that the extension and retraction of the telescopic rod may also be achieved through other structures or devices, and this embodiment does not limit this.

[0122] Among them, it can also be understood that the two rotation positions of the above-mentioned mounting member correspond to the telescopic state of the telescopic rod respectively, and this embodiment does not impose any restrictions thereon; for example, when the telescopic rod is extended relative to the first driving body, the mounting member is in the first rotation position, and at the same time, when the telescopic rod is retracted relative to the first driving body, the mounting member is in the second rotation position; of course, it can also be the other way around, when the telescopic rod is extended relative to the first driving body, the mounting member is in the second rotation position, and at the same time, when the telescopic rod is retracted relative to the first driving body, the mounting member is in the first rotation position.

[0123] Regarding the above-mentioned mounting member 22, in one possible implementation manner, the mounting member 22 is in the shape of a rod extending in a straight line, and the hook 221 protrudes upward relative to the mounting member 22 and is arranged at a right angle to the mounting member 22; wherein the first driving member 21 is located above the mounting member 22, and when the mounting member 22 is in the first rotation position, the mounting member 22 is arranged horizontally and the telescopic rod 212 is arranged vertically.

[0124] Combine Figure 2 、 Figure 3 This embodiment provides a specific structure of the mounting member, that is, the mounting member is in the shape of a straight-line extending rod, the hook at the end of the mounting member protrudes upward relative to the mounting member, and the hook is set at a right angle to the mounting member.

[0125] Then, relative to the shell unit, the first driving member is located above the mounting member; when the mounting member is in the first rotation position, the mounting member is configured to be horizontally set, and the telescopic rod can be vertically set, for example; at this time, it can be understood that the hook set at right angles to the horizontal mounting member is in a vertical state, so that the hook in the vertical state can conveniently and firmly clamp the crossbeam of the material cart between the rear end of the shell unit.

[0126] In a specific embodiment, the top of the first driving body 211 in the vertical direction is rotatably installed with the shell unit 10 via a third rotating shaft 25, the third rotating shaft 25 extends along the second direction Y, and the third rotating shaft 25 is located at the front side of the first driving body 211 in the horizontal direction.

[0127] Able to understand, combine Figure 3 Based on the above structure of the mounting part, when the mounting part rotates from the first rotation position to the second rotation position, the hook at the end of the mounting part should drop to release the crossbeam of the material cart, and at the same time, the other end of the mounting part will rise; that is, the telescopic rod retracts upward to drive the hook at the end of the mounting part to drop.

[0128] At this point, it can be understood that, considering that the first rotating shaft to which the mounting member is hinged to the telescopic rod will produce a certain backward movement relative to the shell unit while rising, the first driving body of this embodiment can be rotatably installed on the shell unit through the third rotating shaft at its top (the third rotating shaft extends along the second direction). In this way, this embodiment can meet the need for the first rotating shaft to move backward by rotating the first driving body relative to the shell unit.

[0129] The third rotating shaft may be specifically located at the front side of the first driving body in the horizontal direction.

[0130] Regarding the above-mentioned clamping groove 26 , in one possible implementation, a back plate 11 is provided at the rear end of the housing unit 10 , and the back plate 11 is used to form a clamping groove 26 with the hook 221 when the mounting member 22 is in the first rotation position.

[0131] That is, when the mounting member is in the first rotation position, this embodiment can form a clamping groove through the back plate at the rear end of the shell unit and the hook at the end of the mounting member to firmly clamp the crossbeam of the material cart.

[0132] In a specific embodiment, rubber pads 12 are respectively provided on the surfaces of the back plate 11 facing the hook 221 , and at least one light sensor 60 is provided on the surface of the back plate 11 facing the hook 221 . The light sensor 60 is configured to be triggered by the beam 71 clamped by the clamping groove 26 .

[0133] In this embodiment, combined with Figure 2 and Figure 4 On the one hand, rubber pads can be provided on the surfaces opposite to the back plate and the hooks, so that the crossbeam of the trolley can be firmly clamped by the deformation of the rubber pads.

[0134] On the other hand, a light sensor may be provided on the surface of the back plate facing the hook, and the number of the light sensors may be one, a pair or more; it can be understood that the light sensor should be configured to work as follows: when the mounting part rotates from the second rotation position to the first rotation position, and the clamping groove formed between the hook and the back plate clamps the beam of the material cart, the light sensor will be triggered, for example, due to the fit of the beam, that is, the light sensor is configured to be triggered by the beam clamped by the clamping groove.

[0135] It can be understood that the purpose of setting up the light sensor in this embodiment is to confirm that the beam of the material cart is in the clamping groove through the trigger signal of the light sensor, or to confirm that the beam of the material cart is in a mounted state.

[0136] Furthermore, in order to achieve the purpose of reliable confirmation, in other embodiments, a pair of light sensors can be set on the back plate of the shell unit, and the pair of light sensors are horizontally arranged along the second direction, and the height of the pair of light sensors in the vertical direction is within the height range of the clamping groove. In this way, when the mounting part rotates from the second rotation position to the first rotation position, and the clamping groove formed between the hook and the back plate clamps the crossbeam of the material cart, the pair of light sensors will be triggered at the same time, so that this embodiment can generate a mounting confirmation signal based on the simultaneous triggering signals of the pair of light sensors.

[0137] Of course, during the process of the automatic guided transport vehicle towing the material vehicle, this embodiment can also generate a fault signal according to the disappearance of the trigger signal of any one of the pair of light sensors, and drive the automatic guided transport vehicle to stop.

[0138] Of course, after the mounting member is driven to rotate from the first rotation position to the second rotation position, this embodiment may also generate a load-off confirmation signal according to the simultaneous disappearance of the trigger signals of the pair of light sensors.

[0139] In one possible embodiment, the trolley docking and traction device further includes a swing track unit 30 and a swing connection unit 40 , wherein the swing track unit 30 is used to connect the automatic guided transport vehicle 80 and the shell unit 10 , and the swing connection unit 40 is installed at the front end of the shell unit 10 .

[0140] Among them, the two ends of the swing track unit 30 along the first direction X are respectively a mounting part 31 and a track part 32. The mounting part 31 is used to be fixedly mounted on the tail of the automatic guided transport vehicle 80. The track part 32 includes an arc-shaped track surface 321. The arc-shaped track surface 321 extends in the vertical direction, and the cross-section of the arc-shaped track surface 321 in the horizontal direction is an arc segment concave toward the mounting part 31.

[0141] Among them, the shell unit 10 spans between the mounting portion 31 and the track portion 32, and the swing connection unit 40 includes a first roller 41 and a second roller 42 respectively arranged on the front and rear sides of the arc-shaped track surface 321. The rotating axes of the first roller 41 and the second roller 42 are arranged in the vertical direction, and the first roller 41 and the second roller 42 are respectively abutted against the two opposite sides of the arc-shaped track surface 321, so that the shell unit 10 can swing freely relative to the swing track unit 30 along the arc segment of the arc-shaped track surface 321.

[0142] That is, in order to meet the needs of the automatic guided transport vehicle for turning and the like during the process of pulling the material vehicle, this embodiment connects the automatic guided transport vehicle and the shell unit through a swinging track unit and a swinging connection unit.

[0143] Generally speaking, the two ends of the swing track unit along the first direction are a mounting portion and a track portion, wherein the mounting portion can be directly fixed to the tail of the automatic guided transport vehicle, and then the track portion is connected to the shell unit for swinging through the arc-shaped track surface.

[0144] Specifically, the mounting portion can be detachably mounted on the rear of the automated guided transport vehicle, for example, by screws, etc., so as to facilitate disassembly and replacement, and can be used for installation on different automated guided transport vehicles.

[0145] Specifically, the track portion includes a curved track surface, which should have a certain height along the vertical direction, and the cross-section of the curved track surface in the horizontal direction is an arc segment, and the arc segment is concave toward the mounting portion; then, the shell unit spans between the mounting portion and the track portion, and a swing connection unit is installed at the front end of the shell unit. The first roller and the second roller of the swing connection unit are respectively arranged on the front and rear sides of the curved track surface, and the rotating shaft directions of the two rollers are arranged along the vertical direction, and the two rollers are respectively abutted against the opposite sides of the curved track surface.

[0146] It can be understood that the shell unit can swing freely along the arc track surface relative to the swing track unit. Since the swing track unit is fixed to the automatic guided transport vehicle, the shell unit can also swing freely relative to the automatic guided transport vehicle, thereby meeting the needs of the automatic guided transport vehicle for turning, etc. during the traction material vehicle.

[0147] It can be seen that in this embodiment, in addition to providing installation for the mounting unit, the shell unit can also be connected between the mounting part and the track part of the swing track unit through the swing connection unit (i.e., the first roller and the second roller), thereby providing flexible installation for the mounting unit.

[0148] Regarding the resetting of the shell unit 10 relative to the automatic guided transport vehicle, in a specific embodiment, the second roller 42 located on the side of the curved track surface 321 facing away from the mounting portion 31 is driven by a second driving member 45, and the second driving member 45 is fixedly mounted on the shell unit 10; wherein, the material vehicle docking and traction device also includes a resetting detection unit, and the resetting detection unit is respectively mounted on the curved track surface 321 and the shell unit 10, so that the second driving member 45 drives the shell unit 10 to reset to the middle position of the curved track surface 321 with the cooperation of the resetting detection unit.

[0149] That is, see Figure 5 、 Figure 6 On the one hand, regarding the power for resetting the shell unit, this embodiment can be specifically achieved by the second driving member driving the second roller. The second driving member is, for example, a driving motor. It can be understood that the driving motor can drive the second roller to rotate to make the shell unit move along the arc direction of the arc track surface.

[0150] Of course, in other embodiments, the second driving member may also specifically drive the first roller to rotate.

[0151] On the other hand, regarding the detection of the reset position of the shell unit, this embodiment can be specifically implemented by a reset detection unit installed between the arc track surface and the shell unit, so that the second driving member can drive the shell unit to reset to the middle position of the arc track surface with the cooperation of the reset detection unit.

[0152] Regarding the above-mentioned reset detection unit, in a specific embodiment, the reset detection unit includes a magnetic scale, the magnetic scale 51 of the magnetic scale is attached to the arc track surface 321 along the arc direction of the arc track surface 321, and the read head of the magnetic scale (not shown in the figure) is fixedly installed on the shell unit 10.

[0153] That is, the reset detection unit of this embodiment can be specifically implemented by a magnetic scale, the magnetic scale of the magnetic scale is attached along the arc direction of the arc track surface, and then the magnetic head of the magnetic scale is fixed on the shell unit. In this way, the swing position of the shell unit can be determined by reading the magnetic scale by the magnetic head, so that the second driving member can drive the shell unit to reset to the middle position of the arc track surface with the cooperation of the magnetic scale.

[0154] Regarding the above-mentioned track portion 32, in a specific embodiment, the track portion 32 includes an arc-shaped frame 322, and the arc-shaped plate is encapsulated on the side of the arc-shaped frame 322 facing away from the mounting portion 31, so that the arc-shaped plate forms an arc-shaped track surface 321; wherein, the first roller 41 is located in the arc-shaped groove 323 formed after the arc-shaped frame 322 and the arc-shaped plate are encapsulated, and a third roller 43 is provided on the outside of the first roller 41, and the rotation axis direction of the third roller 43 is arranged perpendicular to the rotation axis direction of the first roller 41, so that the third roller 43 and the first roller 41 are combined into a two-way combined bearing; and the third roller 43 at least abuts the upper frame plate of the arc-shaped frame 322.

[0155] Specifically, combined Figure 6 The track portion can be formed by an arc-shaped frame and an arc-shaped plate encapsulating the arc-shaped frame, so that the arc-shaped plate forms the above-mentioned arc-shaped track surface, and the first roller located on the front side of the arc-shaped track surface can be specifically located in the arc-shaped groove of the arc-shaped frame, so that the arc-shaped groove can protect the first roller.

[0156] In addition, the first roller can be specifically a bearing inside a two-way combined bearing, and then the vertical bearing outside the two-way combined bearing (i.e., the third roller) can abut against the upper frame plate of the arc frame to offset the gravity effect of the shell unit.

[0157] In another specific embodiment, on the side of the arcuate track surface 321 facing away from the mounting portion 31, the shell unit 10 is respectively fixed with fourth rollers 44 on both sides of the second roller 42, and the rotation axis direction of the fourth roller 44 is the same as the rotation axis direction of the second roller 42, and the fourth roller 44 abuts against the arcuate track surface 321.

[0158] That is, on the side of the arc-shaped track surface where the second roller is provided, this embodiment sets a pair of fourth rollers on both sides of the second roller, thereby continuing to offset the influence of gravity of the shell unit and enhancing the stability of the connection between the shell unit and the swing track unit.

[0159] In another specific embodiment, the mounting portion 31 is in the shape of a horizontal bar extending along the second direction Y, and the two ends of the mounting portion 31 along the second direction are connected to the arc frame 322, and an arc-shaped gap 33 is provided between the mounting portion 31 and the arc frame 322 for the shell unit 10 to bridge.

[0160] In this embodiment, the arc-shaped gap between the mounting portion and the arc-shaped frame can provide space for the housing unit to swing left and right.

[0161] In response to the technical problem of automated handling of hookless material carts, the second embodiment of the present application provides a material cart docking and traction device, the shell unit of which can be installed on the tail of an automatic guided transport vehicle by swinging left and right through a swinging track unit, thereby meeting the needs of turning, etc. during the movement of the automatic guided transport vehicle; then, the shell unit can be mounted and unmounted with the material cart crossbeam through the mounting unit at its rear end, and the structure is simple.

[0162] Please combine Figures 1 to 7 A material cart docking and traction device includes a swing track unit, a shell unit and a swing connection unit.

[0163] The two ends of the swing track unit along the first direction are a mounting part and a track part, respectively. The mounting part is used for fixed installation with the tail of the automatic guided transport vehicle. The first direction is the front and rear direction of the automatic guided transport vehicle. The track part includes an arc-shaped track surface, which extends in the vertical direction. The cross-section of the arc-shaped track surface in the horizontal direction is an arc segment concave toward the mounting part.

[0164] The front end of the shell unit along the first direction is connected between the mounting portion and the track portion, and the rear end of the shell unit along the first direction is provided with a mounting unit for mounting the cross beam of the trolley.

[0165] The swing connection unit is installed at the front end of the shell unit; wherein, the swing connection unit includes a first roller and a second roller respectively arranged on the front and rear sides of the arc track, the rotating shafts of the first roller and the second roller are arranged in the vertical direction, and the first roller and the second roller are respectively in contact with the two opposite sides of the arc track surface.

[0166] Among them, the second roller is driven by a second driving member fixed to the shell unit; and the material cart docking traction device also includes a reset detection unit respectively installed on the arc track surface and the shell unit, so that the second driving member drives the shell unit to reset to the middle position of the arc track surface with the cooperation of the reset detection unit.

[0167] That is, it can be understood that the focus of the material cart docking and traction device in this embodiment is to realize the swinging of the shell unit. As for the mounting unit, the mounting unit can be the mounting unit described in the above embodiments. Of course, it can also be a mounting unit of other structures, as long as it can realize the mounting and unloading with the material cart crossbeam.

[0168] In a specific embodiment, the reset detection unit includes a magnetic scale, the magnetic scale of the magnetic scale is attached to the arc-shaped track surface along the arc direction of the arc-shaped track surface, and the read head of the magnetic scale is fixedly installed on the housing unit.

[0169] In a specific embodiment, the track portion includes an arc-shaped frame, and the arc-shaped plate is encapsulated on the side of the arc-shaped frame facing away from the mounting portion so that the arc-shaped plate forms an arc-shaped track surface; wherein, the first roller is located in an arc-shaped groove formed after the arc-shaped frame and the arc-shaped plate are encapsulated, and a third roller is provided on the outside of the first roller, and the rotation axis direction of the third roller is arranged perpendicular to the rotation axis direction of the first roller, so that the third roller and the first roller are combined into a bidirectional combined bearing; and the third roller at least abuts the upper frame plate of the arc-shaped frame.

[0170] In a specific embodiment, on the side of the arcuate track surface facing away from the mounting portion, the housing unit is fixed with fourth rollers on both sides of the second roller, the rotation axis direction of the fourth roller is the same as that of the second roller, and the fourth roller abuts the arcuate track surface.

[0171] In a specific embodiment, the mounting portion is in the shape of a horizontal bar extending along the second direction, the second direction is the left and right direction of the automatic guided transport vehicle, the two ends of the mounting portion along the second direction are connected to the arc frame, and an arc-shaped gap is provided between the mounting portion and the arc frame for the shell unit to bridge.

[0172] The third embodiment of the present application discloses a method for docking and traction of a material vehicle. The method is applied to the device for docking and traction of a material vehicle disclosed in the first embodiment. The method comprises:

[0173] S101. Before the automated guided transport vehicle reaches the mounting position of the trolley, the first driving body drives the telescopic rod to extend and retract, thereby rotating the mounting member relative to the housing unit to a second rotational position, so as to prevent the hook at the end of the mounting member from colliding with the crossbeam of the trolley when the automated guided transport vehicle moves toward the mounting position;

[0174] S102, after receiving the mounting signal, the first driving body drives the telescopic rod to extend and retract, thereby rotating the mounting member from the second rotation position to the first rotation position, so as to clamp the crossbeam of the material vehicle by utilizing the clamping groove formed between the hook and the rear end of the housing unit;

[0175] S103. After receiving the unloading signal, the first driving body drives the telescopic rod to extend and retract, so that the mounting member rotates from the first rotation position to the second rotation position, so as to release the crossbeam by destroying the clamping groove between the hook and the rear end of the housing unit.

[0176] In step S101, before the automatic guided transport vehicle reaches the mounting position of the material cart, the material cart docking and traction method of this embodiment needs to first ensure that the mounting part is in the second rotation position, that is, the first driving body drives the telescopic rod to extend and retract to rotate the mounting part to the second rotation position, thereby ensuring that when the automatic guided transport vehicle moves toward the mounting position, the hook at the end of the mounting part collides with the crossbeam of the material cart.

[0177] In step S102, the material cart docking and traction method of this embodiment is to drive the mounting part to rotate to the first rotation position through the first driving body according to the mounting signal after receiving the mounting signal, so as to use the clamping groove formed between the hook and the rear end of the shell unit to clamp the beam of the material cart.

[0178] As for the triggering of the mounting signal, for example, the mounting signal can be triggered after the automatic guided transport vehicle reaches the mounting position, or, according to the above description of the shell unit reset part, the mounting signal can be triggered after the automatic guided transport vehicle reaches the mounting position and determines that the shell unit is reset.

[0179] In step S103, the trolley docking and traction method of this embodiment is to drive the mounting part to rotate to the second rotation position through the first driving body according to the unloading signal after receiving the unloading signal, thereby releasing the crossbeam of the trolley by destroying the clamping groove between the hook and the rear end of the shell unit.

[0180] Similar to the mounting signal, the unloading signal can be triggered, for example, after the automatic guided transport vehicle reaches the destination of the material vehicle, or can be triggered under some predetermined conditions according to actual needs.

[0181] In one possible implementation, the method for docking and traction of a skip further includes:

[0182] S104. During the process of the automatic guided transport vehicle pulling the material vehicle, the telescopic rod is driven by the first driving body to maintain a telescopic position unchanged, so that the mounting member is maintained at the first rotation position.

[0183] That is, in the process of pulling the trolley, step 104 needs to keep the telescopic position unchanged by the telescopic rod, so as to ensure that the mounting part is always in the first rotation position, thereby ensuring that the trolley will not be unloaded.

[0184] In one possible implementation, step S102 includes:

[0185] S1021, driving the telescopic rod to extend relative to the first driving body via the first driving body, so that the mounting member rotates from the second rotation position to the first rotation position;

[0186] Step S103 includes:

[0187] S1031, driving the telescopic rod to retract relative to the first driving body via the first driving body, so that the mounting member rotates from the first rotation position to the second rotation position;

[0188] When the mounting member is in the first rotation position, the mounting member is arranged horizontally and the telescopic rod is arranged vertically.

[0189] In one possible implementation, the method for docking and traction of a skip further includes:

[0190] S105, after the mounting member is driven to rotate from the second rotation position to the first rotation position, generating a mounting confirmation signal according to a trigger signal of a light sensor provided at the rear end of the housing unit;

[0191] S106. During the process of the automatic guided transport vehicle towing the material vehicle, a fault signal is generated according to the disappearance of the trigger signal of the light sensor, and the automatic guided transport vehicle is driven to stop;

[0192] S107 , after the mounting member is driven to rotate from the first rotation position to the second rotation position, an unloading confirmation signal is generated according to disappearance of a trigger signal from a light sensor disposed at the rear end of the housing unit.

[0193] In this embodiment, in combination with the above description, a light sensor may be provided on the back plate of the housing unit, so that the crossbeam of the trolley can be detected by using the light sensor.

[0194] That is, in step S105, after the mounting member is driven to rotate to the first rotation position and the trolley is mounted, the light sensor can generate a mounting confirmation signal due to the trigger signal of the trolley crossbeam to determine the mounting status of the trolley.

[0195] In step S106, during the movement of the traction vehicle, the disappearance of the trigger signal of the light sensor can be used to determine that the vehicle is unloaded, thereby generating a fault signal. At this time, the automatic guided transport vehicle should be stopped in time, and an alarm signal should be generated to wait for manual intervention to avoid safety accidents.

[0196] In step S107, after the mounting member is driven to rotate to the second rotation position and the trolley is unloaded, an unloading confirmation signal may be generated by the disappearance of the light sensor trigger signal to determine the unloading state of the trolley.

[0197] In one possible implementation, the method for docking and traction of a skip further includes:

[0198] S108. Before the automatic guided transport vehicle reaches the loading position of the material vehicle, the second driving member drives the second roller to rotate in cooperation with the reset detection unit to reset the housing unit to the middle position of the arc-shaped track surface;

[0199] S109. During the process of the automatic guided transport vehicle pulling the material vehicle, the second driving member is driven to be de-enabled, so that the housing unit can freely swing relative to the swing track unit along the arc-shaped track surface.

[0200] In this embodiment, combined with the above description, the shell unit can be bridged to the swing track unit through a swing connection unit, and a reset detection unit is set between the swing track unit and the shell unit, so that before mounting the trolley, the shell unit can be reset by the second driving member with the cooperation of the reset detection unit to facilitate the mounting of the trolley.

[0201] That is, in step S108, before the automatic guided transport vehicle reaches the mounting position of the material vehicle, the material vehicle docking and traction method of this embodiment also needs to first ensure that the shell unit is reset to the middle position of the arc-shaped track surface. Specifically, with the cooperation of the reset detection unit, the second roller is driven to rotate by the first drive member to reset the shell unit.

[0202] In step S109, during the process of traction of the material cart, in order to meet the needs of turning, etc., the material cart docking and traction method of this embodiment needs to ensure that the shell unit can swing freely on the arc track surface, that is, by driving the second driving member to enable, so that the first roller and the second roller on both sides of the arc track surface can rotate freely, so that the shell unit can swing freely.

[0203] In a specific embodiment, step S108 includes:

[0204] S1081. Obtain a current reading of the read head at the current swing position of the housing unit relative to the arc-shaped track surface;

[0205] S1082. When the current reading is greater than the predetermined reading, the second driving member is driven to rotate forwardly so that the current reading gradually decreases until the predetermined reading is displayed;

[0206] S1083. When the current reading is less than the predetermined reading, the second driving member is driven to rotate in the opposite direction, so that the current reading gradually increases until the predetermined reading is displayed;

[0207] Among them, the reset detection unit includes a read head and a magnetic scale. The read head is fixed to the shell unit, and the magnetic scale is attached to the arc track surface along the arc direction of the arc track surface. The predetermined reading represents the reading of the read head when the shell unit is located in the middle position of the arc track surface.

[0208] In this embodiment, combined with the above description, the reset detection unit can specifically use a magnetic scale, and the magnetic scale of the magnetic scale is attached to the curved track surface along the arc direction of the curved track surface. Then, the read head of the magnetic scale is fixed to the shell unit. In this way, it can be understood that the different swinging positions of the shell unit on the curved track surface can correspond to different readings of the magnetic scale read by the read head; in other words, the specific position of the shell unit on the curved track surface can be determined by the reading of the read head.

[0209] Specifically, it can be understood that, first, when the housing unit is located in the middle position of the arc-shaped track surface, the reading of the read head at this time can be determined as the predetermined reading.

[0210] Then, when the shell unit needs to be reset, the current reading of the read head can be obtained first. When the current reading is greater than or less than the predetermined reading, the shell unit can be driven to swing by rotating the second drive member in the forward or reverse direction, so that the current reading of the read head gradually approaches until it is displayed as the predetermined reading, and it can be determined that the shell unit is reset to the middle position of the arc track surface.

[0211] The fourth embodiment of the present application discloses a method for docking and traction of a material vehicle, which is applied to the material vehicle docking and traction device disclosed in the second embodiment above, wherein the method for docking and traction of the material vehicle comprises:

[0212] S108. Before the automatic guided transport vehicle reaches the loading position of the material vehicle, the second driving member drives the second roller to rotate in cooperation with the reset detection unit to reset the housing unit to the middle position of the arc-shaped track surface;

[0213] S109. During the process of the automatic guided transport vehicle pulling the material vehicle, the second driving member is driven to be de-enabled, so that the housing unit can freely swing relative to the swing track unit along the arc-shaped track surface.

[0214] In one specific embodiment, step S108 includes:

[0215] S1081. Obtain a current reading of the read head at the current swing position of the housing unit relative to the arc-shaped track surface;

[0216] S1082: If the current reading is greater than the predetermined reading, the second driving member is driven to rotate forward, so that the current reading gradually decreases until the predetermined reading is displayed;

[0217] S1083. When the current reading is less than the predetermined reading, the second driving member is driven to rotate in the opposite direction, so that the current reading gradually increases until the predetermined reading is displayed;

[0218] Among them, the reset detection unit includes a read head and a magnetic scale. The read head is fixed to the shell unit, and the magnetic scale is attached to the arc track surface along the arc direction of the arc track surface. The predetermined reading represents the reading of the read head when the shell unit is located in the middle position of the arc track surface.

[0219] The fifth embodiment of the present application discloses an automatic guided transport vehicle, which has a material cart docking and traction device installed at the rear of the automatic guided transport vehicle. The material cart docking and traction device includes the material cart docking and traction device disclosed in the above-mentioned first embodiment, or the material cart docking and traction device includes the material cart docking and traction device disclosed in the above-mentioned second embodiment.

[0220] The sixth embodiment of the present application discloses an automatic guided transport vehicle, which, when docking with a material vehicle, executes the material vehicle docking and traction method disclosed in the third embodiment above, or executes the material vehicle docking and traction method disclosed in the fourth embodiment above.

[0221] In other embodiments, the automatic guided transport vehicle 80 includes a body unit, which includes a vehicle bottom plate 81, a vehicle rear plate 82, a vehicle outer shell 83, etc., wherein the above-mentioned material vehicle docking and traction device can be specifically fixed to the vehicle rear plate 82.

[0222] Among them, the front part of the body unit is provided with a collision bar 84, a navigation laser 85, a human-computer interaction functional area 86, etc. The collision bar is used to protect the body unit when the body unit collides, and the navigation laser is used to navigate the body unit; the human-computer interaction functional area is used to set various functions for the body unit.

[0223] The tail of the body unit is equipped with an obstacle avoidance laser 87, a 5G communication module 88, a traction guide laser 89, etc. Among them, the obstacle avoidance laser is used to detect obstacles or pedestrians approaching in real time during vehicle operation, especially in the reverse process, to avoid collisions and ensure safe operation; the 5G communication module meets the interactive transmission of various types of vehicle information; the role of the traction guide laser is to provide real-time feedback on the relative position of the hook and the docking position of the material truck when the body unit is docked with the material truck, and guide the vehicle to adjust its posture to complete the docking and traction, ensuring accurate traction and docking every time.

[0224] The bottom of the vehicle body unit is provided with universal casters 810, differential power wheels 811 and the like.

[0225] A battery 812, a counterweight 813, etc. are provided inside the vehicle body unit.

[0226] The basic principles of the present application have been described above in conjunction with specific embodiments. However, it should be noted that the advantages, strengths, and effects mentioned in this application are merely illustrative and not restrictive, and it should not be assumed that these advantages, strengths, and effects are required of each embodiment of this application. In addition, the specific details disclosed above are merely illustrative and facilitating understanding, and are not restrictive. The above details do not limit this application to necessarily being implemented using the above specific details.

[0227] The block diagrams of the devices, devices, equipment, and systems involved in this application are merely illustrative examples and are not intended to require or imply that they must be connected, arranged, or configured in the manner shown in the block diagrams. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, these devices, devices, equipment, and systems can be connected, arranged, or configured in any manner. Words such as "include," "comprise," "have," and the like are open-ended words, meaning "including but not limited to," and can be used interchangeably therewith. The words "or" and "and" used herein refer to the words "and / or" and can be used interchangeably therewith, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The word "such as" used herein refers to the phrase "such as but not limited to," and can be used interchangeably therewith.

[0228] It should also be noted that in the apparatus, device, and method of the present application, each component or each step can be decomposed and / or recombined, and such decomposition and / or recombination should be regarded as equivalent solutions of the present application.

[0229] The above description of the disclosed aspects is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present application. Various modifications to these aspects will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other aspects without departing from the scope of the present application. Therefore, the present application is not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein, but rather to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

[0230] The above description has been provided for the purpose of illustration and description. Furthermore, this description is not intended to limit the embodiments of the present application to the forms disclosed herein. Although a number of example aspects and embodiments have been discussed above, those skilled in the art will recognize that certain variations, modifications, alterations, additions, and sub-combinations thereof are intended to be within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A material car docking traction device, characterized in that: The vehicle comprises a housing unit and a mounting unit mounted on the housing unit, wherein the front end of the housing unit along a first direction is used to be mounted on the rear end of the automatic guided transport vehicle, and the rear end of the housing unit along the first direction is provided with the mounting unit, wherein the first direction is the front-rear direction of the automatic guided transport vehicle, and the mounting unit comprises: a first driving member, mounted on the housing unit, comprising a first driving body and a telescopic rod that is telescopic relative to the first driving body; A mounting member, wherein a first end of the mounting member is rotatably connected to the telescopic rod via a first rotating shaft along the first direction, and a second end of the mounting member is protruded relative to the rear end of the housing unit and is provided with a hook; The mounting member is rotatably mounted on the housing unit via a second rotating shaft at a position between the first end and the second end thereof, the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft extending in a second direction, which is the left-right direction of the automatic guided transport vehicle, so that the first driving body drives the telescopic rod to extend and retract, thereby rotating the mounting member relative to the housing unit between the first rotation position and the second rotation position; Wherein, when the mounting member is in the first rotation position, a clamping groove is formed between the hook and the rear end of the housing unit, and the clamping groove is used to clamp the crossbeam of the trolley; When the mounting member is in the second rotation position, the docking and pulling device releases the crossbeam due to the destruction of the clamping groove between the hook and the rear end of the housing unit.

2. The material car docking and traction device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mounting member is in the shape of a straight rod, and the hook protrudes upward relative to the mounting member and is arranged at a right angle to the mounting member; Wherein, the first driving member is located above the mounting member, and when the mounting member is in the first rotation position, the mounting member is arranged horizontally, and the telescopic rod is arranged vertically.

3. The material car docking and traction device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The top end of the first driving body in the vertical direction is rotatably mounted to the housing unit via a third rotating shaft. The third rotating shaft extends along the second direction and is located at the front side of the first driving body in the horizontal direction.

4. The material car docking and traction device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A back plate is provided at the rear end of the housing unit, and the back plate is used to form the clamping groove with the hook when the mounting member is in the first rotation position.

5. The material car docking and traction device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The surfaces of the back plate opposite to the hook are respectively provided with rubber pads, and the surface of the back plate facing the hook is provided with at least one light sensor, and the light sensor is configured to be triggered by the beam clamped by the clamping groove.

6. The material car docking and traction device according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: a swing track unit, used to connect the automatic guided transport vehicle and the housing unit; The two ends of the swing track unit along the first direction are respectively a mounting portion and a track portion, the mounting portion is used to be fixedly mounted on the tail of the automatic guided transport vehicle, the track portion includes a curved track surface, the curved track surface extends in the vertical direction, and the cross-section of the curved track surface in the horizontal direction is an arc segment concave toward the mounting portion; a swing connection unit, mounted at the front end of the housing unit; In which, the shell unit is connected between the mounting portion and the track portion, and the swing connection unit includes a first roller and a second roller respectively arranged on the front and rear sides of the arc track. The rotating shafts of the first roller and the second roller are arranged in the vertical direction, and the first roller and the second roller are respectively abutted against the two opposite sides of the arc track surface, so that the shell unit can swing freely relative to the swing track unit along the arc segment of the arc track surface.

7. The material car docking and traction device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The second roller located on the side of the arc-shaped track surface facing away from the mounting portion is driven by a second driving member, and the second driving member is fixedly mounted on the housing unit; Among them, the material cart docking and traction device also includes a reset detection unit, which is respectively installed on the arc-shaped track surface and the shell unit, so that the second driving member drives the shell unit to reset to the middle position of the arc-shaped track surface with the cooperation of the reset detection unit.

8. The material car docking and traction device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The reset detection unit includes a magnetic scale, the magnetic scale of the magnetic scale is attached to the arc-shaped track surface along the arc direction of the arc-shaped track surface, and the read head of the magnetic scale is fixedly installed on the housing unit.

9. The material car docking and traction device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The track portion includes an arc-shaped frame, and the arc-shaped plate is encapsulated on a side of the arc-shaped frame facing away from the mounting portion, so that the arc-shaped plate forms the arc-shaped track surface; The first roller is located in an arc-shaped groove formed by encapsulating the arc-shaped frame and the arc-shaped plate, and a third roller is provided outside the first roller. The rotation axis of the third roller is perpendicular to the rotation axis of the first roller, so that the third roller and the first roller form a bidirectional combined bearing. Furthermore, the third roller at least abuts against the upper frame plate of the arc-shaped frame.

10. The material vehicle docking and traction device according to claim 9, characterized in that: On the side of the arcuate track surface facing away from the mounting portion, the housing unit is fixed with fourth rollers on both sides of the second roller. The rotation axis direction of the fourth roller is the same as that of the second roller, and the fourth roller abuts against the arcuate track surface.

11. The material car docking and traction device according to claim 9, characterized in that: The mounting portion is in the shape of a horizontal bar extending along the second direction. Both ends of the mounting portion along the second direction are connected to the arc frame. An arc-shaped gap for the housing unit to bridge is provided between the mounting portion and the arc frame.

12. A material car docking and traction device, characterized in that: include: The swing track unit comprises a mounting portion and a track portion at both ends along a first direction, wherein the mounting portion is used for fixed installation with the rear end of the automated guided transport vehicle, the first direction being the front-to-back direction of the automated guided transport vehicle, and the track portion comprises a curved track surface, wherein the curved track surface extends in a vertical direction, and a cross section of the curved track surface in a horizontal direction is an arc segment concave toward the mounting portion; A housing unit, the front end of which along the first direction is connected between the mounting portion and the rail portion, and the rear end of which along the first direction is provided with a mounting unit for mounting a trolley beam; a swing connection unit, mounted at the front end of the housing unit; The swing connection unit includes a first roller and a second roller respectively arranged on the front and rear sides of the arc track, the rotating shafts of the first roller and the second roller are arranged in the vertical direction, and the first roller and the second roller respectively abut against the two opposite sides of the arc track surface; Wherein, the second roller is driven by a second driving member fixed to the housing unit; In addition, the material cart docking and traction device also includes a reset detection unit respectively installed on the arc track surface and the shell unit, so that the second driving member drives the shell unit to reset to the middle position of the arc track surface with the cooperation of the reset detection unit.

13. The material vehicle docking and traction device according to claim 12, characterized in that: The reset detection unit includes a magnetic scale, the magnetic scale of the magnetic scale is attached to the arc-shaped track surface along the arc direction of the arc-shaped track surface, and the read head of the magnetic scale is fixedly installed on the housing unit.

14. The material vehicle docking and traction device according to claim 12, characterized in that: The track portion includes an arc-shaped frame, and the arc-shaped plate is encapsulated on a side of the arc-shaped frame facing away from the mounting portion, so that the arc-shaped plate forms the arc-shaped track surface; The first roller is located in an arc-shaped groove formed by encapsulating the arc-shaped frame and the arc-shaped plate, and a third roller is provided outside the first roller. The rotation axis of the third roller is perpendicular to the rotation axis of the first roller, so that the third roller and the first roller form a bidirectional combined bearing. Furthermore, the third roller at least abuts against the upper frame plate of the arc-shaped frame.

15. The material vehicle docking and traction device according to claim 14, characterized in that: On the side of the arcuate track surface facing away from the mounting portion, the housing unit is fixed with fourth rollers on both sides of the second roller. The rotation axis direction of the fourth roller is the same as that of the second roller, and the fourth roller abuts against the arcuate track surface.

16. The device for docking and traction of a skip according to claim 14, characterized in that: The mounting portion is in the shape of a horizontal bar extending along a second direction, which is the left-right direction of the automatic guided transport vehicle. The mounting portion is connected to the arc frame at both ends along the second direction, and an arc-shaped gap is provided between the mounting portion and the arc frame for the shell unit to bridge.

17. A method for docking and traction of a material vehicle, characterized in that: The material vehicle docking and traction method is applied to the material vehicle docking and traction device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the material vehicle docking and traction method comprises: Before the automated guided transport vehicle reaches the mounting position of the trolley, the first driving body drives the telescopic rod to extend and retract, thereby rotating the mounting member relative to the housing unit to a second rotation position, so as to prevent the hook at the end of the mounting member from colliding with the crossbeam of the trolley when the automated guided transport vehicle moves toward the mounting position; After receiving the mounting signal, the first driving body drives the telescopic rod to extend and retract, so that the mounting member rotates from the second rotation position to the first rotation position, so as to clamp the crossbeam of the trolley by using the clamping groove formed between the hook and the rear end of the housing unit; After receiving the unloading signal, the first driving body drives the telescopic rod to extend and retract, so that the mounting member rotates from the first rotation position to the second rotation position, so as to release the crossbeam by destroying the clamping groove between the hook and the rear end of the shell unit.

18. The method for docking and pulling a material vehicle according to claim 17, characterized in that: Also includes: During the process of the automatic guided transport vehicle pulling the material vehicle, the telescopic rod is driven by the first driving body to maintain the telescopic position unchanged, so that the mounting member is maintained in the first rotation position.

19. The method for docking and pulling a material vehicle according to claim 17, characterized in that: The step of driving the telescopic rod to extend and retract by the first driving body to rotate the mounting member from the second rotation position to the first rotation position specifically includes: The telescopic rod is driven to extend relative to the first driving body by the first driving body, so that the mounting member rotates from the second rotation position to the first rotation position; The step of driving the telescopic rod to extend and retract by the first driving body to rotate the mounting member from the first rotation position to the second rotation position specifically includes: The telescopic rod is driven to retract relative to the first driving body by the first driving body, so that the mounting member rotates from the first rotation position to the second rotation position; Wherein, when the mounting member is in the first rotation position, the mounting member is arranged horizontally, and the telescopic rod is arranged vertically.

20. The method for docking and pulling a material vehicle according to claim 17, characterized in that: Also includes: After driving the mounting member to rotate from the second rotation position to the first rotation position, generating a mounting confirmation signal according to a trigger signal of a light sensor provided at the rear end of the housing unit; During the process of the automatic guided transport vehicle pulling the material vehicle, a fault signal is generated according to the disappearance of the trigger signal of the light sensor, and the automatic guided transport vehicle is driven to stop; After the mounting member is driven to rotate from the first rotation position to the second rotation position, an unloading confirmation signal is generated according to disappearance of a trigger signal of a light sensor provided at the rear end of the housing unit.

21. The method for docking and pulling a skip according to claim 17, characterized in that: Also includes: Before the automatic guided transport vehicle reaches the loading position of the trolley, the second driving member drives the second roller to rotate in cooperation with the reset detection unit to reset the housing unit to the middle position of the arc-shaped track surface; During the process of the automatic guided transport vehicle pulling the material vehicle, the second driving member is driven to be de-energized so that the housing unit can freely swing relative to the swing track unit along the arc-shaped track surface.

22. The method for docking and pulling a material vehicle according to claim 21, characterized in that: The step of driving the second roller to rotate by the second driving member in cooperation with the reset detection unit to reset the housing unit to the middle position of the arc-shaped track surface specifically includes: acquiring a current reading of the read head at a current swing position of the housing unit relative to the arc-shaped track surface; When the current reading is greater than a predetermined reading, the second driving member is driven to rotate forwardly, so that the current reading gradually decreases until it reaches the predetermined reading; When the current reading is less than a predetermined reading, driving the second driving member to rotate in the opposite direction, so that the current reading gradually increases until it reaches the predetermined reading; The reset detection unit includes the read head and the magnetic scale, the read head is fixed to the housing unit, the magnetic scale is attached to the arc-shaped track surface along the arc direction of the arc-shaped track surface, and the predetermined reading represents the reading of the read head when the housing unit is located in the middle position of the arc-shaped track surface.

23. A method for docking and traction of a material vehicle, characterized in that: The material vehicle docking and traction method is applied to the material vehicle docking and traction device according to any one of claims 12 to 16, and the material vehicle docking and traction method includes: Before the automatic guided transport vehicle reaches the loading position of the trolley, the second driving member drives the second roller to rotate in cooperation with the reset detection unit to reset the housing unit to the middle position of the arc-shaped track surface; During the process of the automatic guided transport vehicle pulling the material vehicle, the second driving member is driven to be de-energized so that the housing unit can freely swing relative to the swing track unit along the arc-shaped track surface.

24. The docking and pulling method according to claim 23, characterized in that: The step of driving the second roller to rotate by the second driving member in cooperation with the reset detection unit to reset the housing unit to the middle position of the arc-shaped track surface specifically includes: acquiring a current reading of the read head at a current swing position of the housing unit relative to the arc-shaped track surface; When the current reading is greater than a predetermined reading, the second driving member is driven to rotate forwardly, so that the current reading gradually decreases until it reaches the predetermined reading; When the current reading is less than a predetermined reading, driving the second driving member to rotate in the opposite direction, so that the current reading gradually increases until it reaches the predetermined reading; The reset detection unit includes the read head and the magnetic scale, the read head is fixed to the housing unit, the magnetic scale is attached to the arc-shaped track surface along the arc direction of the arc-shaped track surface, and the predetermined reading represents the reading of the read head when the housing unit is located in the middle position of the arc-shaped track surface.

25. An automatic guided transport vehicle, characterized in that: A material vehicle docking and traction device is installed at the rear of the automatic guided transport vehicle, and the material vehicle docking and traction device includes the material vehicle docking and traction device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, or the material vehicle docking and traction device includes the material vehicle docking and traction device according to any one of claims 12 to 16.

26. An automatic guided transport vehicle, characterized in that: When the automatic guided transport vehicle is docked with the material vehicle, the material vehicle docking and traction method according to any one of claims 17 to 22 is executed, or the material vehicle docking and traction method according to any one of claims 23 to 24 is executed.

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